BLUE RIDGE GROTTO of the National Speleological Society

BRG Minutes for 5/16/2025

Dave & MarySue Socky’s house, 6572 Woodbrook Dr. SW Cave Spring, VA 24018

Attendance:

Susan Burr Marian McConnell Mary Sue Socky

Dave Socky Jeff Huffman John Pearson

Barry Ferguson Helene Ferguson Nick Schmalenberger

Bob Alderson *Alex Thompson *Bob Balch

Bambi Marshall *Guest

Chair David Socky called the meeting to order at 6:30p.

Everyone was welcomed; Introductions were made.

TRIP REPORTS

4/11: Hamilton Valley KY (CRF). Bob Alderson, Bill Koerschner, and other cavers visited Short’s Moonshine Cave, KY. This cave had been closed for 40 years. The new owner is interested in visitors to the cave. Insurgent stream entrance. They surveyed 280 feet. A flowstone cliff/wall on the survey became very wet from a torrential downpour, so they left.

4/12: Shoveleater Cave, WV. Bob Alderson and Mark Minton did a climb which ended in a narrow slot.

4/12: John Pearson, Meredith Weberg, Janet Tinkham, Carol Tiderman, Craig Hindman, Mike Ficco, Katarina Kosič Ficco, etc. visited the VA-DCR property in Grottoes, VA, where they planted/secured trees and pulled invasive plants on the property. Several folks later visited Madison Saltpeter Cave, VA.

4-18: New River Cave, VA. BRG trip. They saw a phoebe nest with 3 eggs in it at the entrance. They also saw bats & salamanders. They went to the Waterfall and back out. They ran into properly equipped, but non-permitted cavers in the cave.

4/8-18: Nick Schmalenberger, Rolland Moore and others caving in Mexico.

4/19: Warm River Cave, VA. (NOTE: Warm River Cave is closed except for science and survey trips through the Warm Springs Project group with express permission from the owner.) Participants included David Socky, Keeley Owens, Corey Hackley, Bob Alderson, Mark Minton, and Yvonne Droms. Went to the Historic Hot Stream (upstream) section of Warm River. We did two bolt climbs and surveyed 663 feet of new cave on a 12.5-hour trip.

4/21: Shenandoah Wild Cave, VA, Participants included David Socky, Dave Hubbard, Carl Amundson, and Wil Orndorf. Another trip for the peccary bones. This trip was not to do any collection, but to do preparation for future collection trips, Dave and Wil spent all day by the bones moving mud out of the way and prepping the area for removal. This was also to protect the bones. They filled bucket after bucket up with wet, sloppy mud. I would pull the bucket up out of the hole, and then Carl would take the bucket and dump it in an out of the way location. The mud was HEAVY! Once Dave was satisfied with the work, we all looked at another location that was close by where there were more bones. The trip in and out was uneventful. We were in the cave for about 7 hours, emerging at 5:15pm.

4/22: Dave & Mary Sue Socky, John Pearson, Jenna Fidler attended the Roanoke County VA Board of Supervisors meeting, where the BOS approved a new hotel in the karst area, and have chosen to ignore the updated VA laws of development in karst topography so they can cut the developer a financial break. Stormwater runoff from the hotel will impact the Dixie Caverns property.

4/23: Jenga Cave, VA. Participants included David Socky, Joe Zokaites, Bob Alderson, Bill Koerschner, Rick Lambert, Keith Sweeney, Jason Sargent, and Jim Schurman. Joe, Bob, Rick, and I completed the surface survey from the fence post (took a little to find it)) to Hobbit Hole, Rick Royer Dig, Fault Cave Dig, and Jenga Cave. While we did this, the rest of the crew dug on Jenga Cave. After we finished the surface survey, we all joined the dig. For a while, I had the onerous job of sitting in the chair and marking the bucket count on the chalk board for each bucket that came out. Over the day, we hauled out 134 buckets of mostly rock. After lunch, Joe and I went off and surveyed the three digs/caves. We started with Fault Cave, which took two shots from the datum. Then we moved to Hobbit Hole. The hole at the dig face was not moving much air. It was a pretty air neutral day. The little climb down was tricky getting in and I had to spot Joe for the climb out. When I went to climb out, I had no one to spot me, and I didn't feel comfortable with the footholds over the 10-foot drop. A slip would have probably resulted in a broken leg. I waited while Joe got the cable ladder. We then spent the rest of the afternoon helping to haul buckets out of Jenga Cave. The dig face in Jenga is now a nearly standup room about 8 feet in diameter. There is air coming out from above, from below, and from the left side of the room. The survey we did shows the bottom of Jenga to be only 17 horizontal feet from FO21 in Warm River, but 144 feet above it. We need a pit! We quit at 5pm.

4/26: Jenga Cave, VA. Participants included David Socky, Rick Lambert, Keith Sweeney, Jacob Whitlock, Andrew Newton, Benaiah Farrow, Rob Grace, and David Rogers. We were going to do Dunn's Cave surface survey, but we ended up with enough bodies to work on Jenga. We worked until about 4:30pm and moved 164 buckets of mostly rock. There is still work to do, but there is still lots of air movement and seems like lots of potential.

4/30: Dunn's Cave, VA. Participants included David Socky, Bob Alderson, Keith Sweeney, Rick Lambert, and Jim Schurman. A team of five did a surface survey from the entrance to Dunn's Cave to the springs that are the resurgence of the water from Dunn's Cave. This is one of the three thermal caves in the area, along with Mud Pot and Warm River. After the surface survey was finished, Bob, Jim, and I went into Dunn's to check it out and to recover a dye trap for Bill Jones. The climb down into the stream from the upper level was a little tricky but turned out to be easier than it looked. The water was not warm, but it wasn't the usual chilling 55 Degrees F. We were in the cave for about an hour.

4/30: Go Slow Cave, VA. Participants included Dave Socky, Bob Alderson, Keith Sweeney, and Rick Lambert. We sent Bob in first to check it out. The cave is right on the edge of Rt 220 in the Warm Springs project area. Bob crawled in the whole 35 to 40 feet and finally called for the drill. A short belly crawl to get in, and then a floor channel develops where you can actually put your feet down. But then the channel gets narrow enough that you have to crawl through the keyhole at the top. This is where Bob was. I handed him the drill. We spent about 2 hours technical digging and finally got to the point where you could almost drop down to a lower room. It was about a 10-foot drop, but at five feet down it was undercut so it looked doubtful we could climb out without some kind of aid. We decided a little more digging would be advisable to make entry easier. But it was already 5 pm, so we decided to wait until next week.

Bob Alderson reporting: Bob Alderson fought the cave! Bob was micro-shaving; he lost a glove and skinned up his shoulders a lot.

5/3: Dave & Mary Sue Socky, Bob Alderson, and about 90 other cavers attended Charlotte Lucas’ memorial, held at the Butler/Philly Grotto field station.

5/3: Lauren Appel, Trish Geiger, Susan Burr, Jeff and Hillary Huffman, did a last minute trip to Island Ford Cave, VA.

5/4: Nick Schmalenberger, Zach Bruno checked out Padlock Cave and Shadow Cave, VA. These are some of Martin DiLeggi’s project caves in Botetourt Co. VA.

5/6: Mary Sue Socky, Jenna Fidler, Jacob Fidler went on a cave day! First, they stopped at Island Ford Cave, VA and explored the entrance room, back to the rocks and where you can hear the water. Then, they travelled to Lost World Caverns, WV, where they met and talked with owner Steve Silverberg. Jenna and Jacob were impressed with the giant room of Lost World, the prismatic joints, and the wall of white flowstone, as well as the Gift Shop Museum.

5/7: Go Slow Cave, VA. Participants included Dave Socky, Bill Koeschner, Keith Sweeney, Rick Lambert, Jason Sargent, and Amos Mincin. We made it in, but it ended is a 10 by 10 foot room. No air movement. We finished up the day at Jenga.

5/7 Root Cellar Cave, VA. Participants included David Socky, Bill Koerschner, Rick Lambert, Amos Mincin. Surface support Keith Sweeney and Jim Schurman. After Go Slow, we went to check the cave we had found this past January. After Amos squeezed in and dug it open enough for the rest of us to get in, we started surveying. We got 150 feet and were stopped by two pits. One measured 79 feet and the other was estimated at 100 feet! Amos climbed down a 15-to-20-foot pit which he really shouldn't have. He was lucky to make it back up without an incident.

5/7: Marian McConnell, Susan Burr, and Mary Sue Socky worked at Dixie Caverns, VA, cleaning various areas of the cave and updating the display case in the entrance room.

5/8: Shoveleater Cave, WV. Bob Alderson, Mark Minton & Yvonne Droms. They returned to a now-dry dome. Mark did a 40’ climb to a balcony, with Vonnie on belay.

5/10: (VAR) Nick Schmalenberger, Meredith Weberg, and 15 other cavers visited Commander Adamas’ Killer Bat Cave, WV. (total of 17 when two groups combined). This many people invoked the dread slinky effect and people slowly entered and exited the cave in clumps. Nick was a human step stool for about 2 hours.

5/10: (VAR) Bambi Marshall and a bunch of cavers visited the Sinks of Gandy, WV. Thru trips are no longer allowed.

5/10: (VAR) Bob Balch visited New Trout Cave, WV. John Levin led 12 cavers on a 3 ½ hour trip where they explored some of the maze and leads into another big room. They saw one bat.

Trip Reports (cont.)

5/14 Root Cellar Cave, VA. Participants included David Socky, Bob Alderson, Mark Minton, Yvonne Droms. Surface support-Rick Lambert, Bill Koerschner, Keith Sweeney, and Jim Schurman. We returned to the 100+ foot pits! Bob rigged the back pit while Mark Rigged the 30' plus 100' pits. Yvonne and I surveyed. Bob struggled with his because it was pretty tight and awkward at the top, but once on rope, it opened up into a really nice rappel. Mark knocked a huge rock down which made lots of noise. Bob got to see it falling past while he was going down his rope. But, alas, it was a dead bottom pit. No leads. The only possibility is a side parallel pit about 20 feet down from the bottom of the 30' pit. The side pit has a tight entrance which will need to be technically dug. Class C dig. We took the ropes out but left the hangers in the main drop. Oh well.

5/15: Nick Schmalenberger attended a Greenbrier Grotto meeting. It was reported that the WV DCR is replacing a wall with a bat gate in ??? cave.

This Month’s trip – to Patton Cave, WV, fell through. So - tomorrow, 5/17/2025, there will be a conservation trip to Dixie Caverns, VA, to continue cleaning lampenflora. See everyone around 10a at the cave.

June grotto trip – to be decided.

BUSINESS MEETING

May 16, 2025 – BRG Treasury Report

Respectfully submitted by Marian McConnell.

Fund Amounts

$ 112.96 Cave Bucks

$ 2.00 Conservation Fund

$ 144.12 Equipment Fund

$ 5,818.26 General Fund

$ 6,077.34 Total Funds

Committees:  

Newsletter –Nice May 2025 CARBIDE DUMP! There will be a June DUMP, but no July newsletter.

Membership –we have 53 members & 3 subscribers.

ROCKS – the Warm Springs Valley project meets every Wednesday, and some Saturdays. Contact Dave Socky if you want to participate.

Safety & Techniques – Nick Schmalenberger emphasized the importance of being “in shape’ for cave trips; monitor your energy levels to make sure you have enough strength to complete the cave trip and back out. (Cave divers have a 1/3 rule; you turn around and head for the entrance when you have 2/3 air in your tanks; likewise, dry land cavers should always have enough energy to safely exit the cave. DRS)  A cave trip is no place to start a new diet! Exercise, cross-training above ground and being healthy will help cavers better themselves underground.

Membership Proposals:  None.

Old Business 

· New Dixie Cave, VA has been resurveyed. This info will help with the upcoming project to add a third lane to each side of I-81 and how it will impact Dixie Caverns, New Dixie Cave, VA.

· BRG received THREE new Petzl Boreo cave helmets at Spring VAR!

Old Business (cont.)

· Virginia Cave Week is June 1-7, 2025. BRG will hold a Virginia Cave event at Dixie Caverns, VA on Sunday, 6/1/2025. 10a – 2p. Come out, wear your cave gear (or vertical cave gear!) and meet the public, tell them why you love caves.

· Should BRG invest some of its extra funds into CD’s? (Susan Burr). BRG is either a Business account or a Special Business Account. If we are “Special Business Account” the interest rates would be 3% - 4%, and would be worth a 4-month, 7-month, or 11- month investment. This would be ‘dynamic.” Is a minimum balance required? Someone with an account Signature needs to check into it. After short discussion, it was decided that Treasurer Marian McConnell and Chair David Socky (signature holders) will investigate it.

New Business

· There will be NO June BRG meeting (vacations, NSS Convention.) There will be a June newsletter and cave trip.

· There will be a July 18, 2025 BRG meeting somewhere…

· BRG Meeting Space in 2025. We have closed down TWO restaurants in the past 7 months! We need a new meeting place.

o Schools are not available. Libraries are not available on Friday nights.

o We can meet at members’ houses’ – need room (and parking) for 15-20 people.

o Old suggestions: Famous Anthony’s, W. Main St. Salem, VA. Famous Anthony’s, 460 E. near Bonsack, VA.

o Susan Burr will look at Frank’s on Brambleton Ave. & Bellacino’s near Tanglewood Mall to see if they are available on Friday nights.

· Cave Trip guidelines have been posted in the May 2025DUMP. Everyone has responsibilities for a safe cave trip.

· 2025 Spring VAR, near Spruce Knob, WV – was attended by 305 people, who came from FL to NH for the spring caving event and meeting!

o VAR Cavers donated over $10K to various cave preserves and cave rescue, training organizations.

o Several grottos reported on conservation projects: Sites Cave WV re-fencing, cleanup trips to Lost Cave, WV, Bowden Cave, WV, Island Ford Cave, VA, Perkins Cave preserve, The Cedars (VA) sinkhole cleanout; GROSS Grotto worked with WVDOT to clean out a WV sinkhole. Show cave conservation at Endless Caverns, VA and Dixie Caverns, VA. Walker Mt. Grotto has been reactivated, and NRVG opened a new cave and added fencing to protect the owner’s cows.

o Central Appalachian Cave Rescue Team (CACRT) has received its 501 C-3 and will be operational in one month.

o Host Grottos are needed for 2025 Fall VAR and 2026 Spring VAR. Small grottos can work together to host a VAR.

· Cave Access Updates.

Dave Socky and Nikki Fox are helping Brad Blase post verified cave access info updates to the “Closed Cave List.” Send updates to https://var.caves.org/index.php/conservation/closed-caves/closed-cave-list Some recent updates are:

o Boar Hole, WV: Radio Entrance and Cowan Entrance – manager Carroll Bassett must be contacted 24-72 hours before trip to get OK and parking information. Illegally parked vehicles will be towed.

o Friars Hole Cave Preserve, WV – all entrances are closed.

o Catawba Murder Hole Cave, VA is CLOSED

o Culverson Creek/Wildcat, WV –OPEN no need to contact Bill Balfour; park by barn; do not block road.

o New River Cave Preserve, VA (NSS) is using a permit system. One group per day is allowed in the cave. https://permits.saveyourcaves.org/ to submit a permit request for visitation. Contact newriverpreserve@caves.org for more info.

Announcements:

· Healthy Caving – let’s be healthy going underground.  Rules were posted in the DUMP.

· T-Shirts –There are 17 remaining T-shirts! $12.00 each. Med. to XL, various colors: red, gold, grey, green, light blue, etc. Contact Susan Burr pondlady97@gmail.com for more information.

· Summer Bat Closure for some caves. These closures protect maternity colonies of bat moms and pups.

o WV: closed May 15 - Sept 1.

o VA: closed Apr. 15 – Oct. 15.

· Marian McConnell is collecting photos of orange cave salamanders to use to design a 2025 BRG Christmas card, "Santamander" ... since the Santa bats have been so popular. Please share your really good, detailed salamander photos with her between now and October.

Announcements (cont.)

· We are thrilled to announce that — after years of member-informed discussion, planning, and preparation —  the National Speleological Society has officially hired its first Executive Director: Dr. Annette Engel (NSS #31319). This marks a transformative moment in the evolution of the NSS. Annette is a lifelong caver, a renowned scientist, and a deeply respected member of the Society who brings both a compelling vision and decades of experience to this pivotal role.

CAVER CALENDAR:

May 16 – BRG meeting 6:30p Dave and Mary Socky’s house, Cave Spring, VA

Jun 1, 2025 – BRG Cave Day at Dixie Caverns, VA as part of Virginia Cave Week.

June 13-15 – Young Timers’ Reunion (YTR), RASS Fieldstation. RSVP at https://forms.gle/SFiueiN56Jj8hvTJA or contact Gracie Cornish Ashley.gracec@vt.edu

June 20 – NO BRG MEETING.

Jun 23-27, 2025 – NSS Convention, Cobleskill, NY.

July 11-13, 2025 – WVACS Classic! RSVP here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7Y52KGS

July 11-19: NCRC Weeklong classes, Mountain Gateway Community College, Clifton Forge, VA. For more info, including prerequisites, visit: https://caves.org/ncrc/courses/ncrc-course-descriptions/

July 18 – BRG meeting, site TBA.

Aug 15 – BRG meeting, site TBA.

Oct 17-19 – Roanoke GO FEST (save the date for Cave Sim)

Cold Beer!

Program: Nick Schmalenberger’s recent, awesome “Caving Adventures in Mexico.”

Minutes submitted by Mary Sue Socky, Secretary